Endurance
by AquamarineHoodies
Summary: In which florist Genos meets 'a hero for fun' Saitama.


Genos had finished moving the final box into his newly leased flower shop. He let out a sigh of relief and rotated his shoulders, feeling his back muscles strain at the movement. The ceiling fan was squeaking away at its highest speed. The old window A/C belonging to its previous owner was operating and keeping the inside air cool. Bless that man for leaving it so Genos wouldn't have to save up for a new one.

Moving to Z-city was definitely not the best option, but like his father Genos wanted to start from scratch with a place of his own and climb his way up from there. His mother was initially hesitant that her son would be moving so far from home, but his father laughed and said that his path would be only his to determine. It also helped that the place he bought right across the tiny supermarket was at an amazing price rate compared to anything up in B-city.

Though the shelves and stands were all fixed up, the florist's tools and other décor were left to be unpacked. The flowers he had were organized in old plastic crates, waiting to be stocked in their display stands. Genos grabbed the scissors from the shelf they were stranded on and began opening the box in which his mother's oil paintings were kept. She had insisted on him taking them for him to put up on the walls of his shop. He took out one of the larger canvas which featured a bunch of striped carnations in a ceramic vase as its focal point and looked for a good place on the wall to hang it.

One by one, Genos was finishing tasks on his checklist of things to arrange out. He had just finished lining up the rolls of ribbon on a rack which was left out in the open for convenience, and arranged them in a rainbow, satisfying his ever-so mild OCD. He moved onto the pots of plants which he would keep on display where the shelves were open to the light of the glass window right next to the main entrance. As the plants were repotted they went up on the shelf. Cactus. Zinnia. Chrysanthemums. He went through the names as he placed them. Genos stepped back after all the pots were up and eyed the placing. After shifting the plants on the shelf he looked at them again and gave a satisfied nod.

He wiped the sweat from his brow and grabbed the nearest box and sat on it, stretching his legs out and letting his arms rest. A groan from his stomach told him he needed food and the quickest and affordable option would be a supermarket bento.

Genos got up from his comfortable position on his box, much too reluctant to leave it and enter the heat wave outside. He patted his pockets for his phone and grabbed the keys from the main counter's drawers to lock up the place.

A quick dash across the street and Genos entered the supermarket, nodding politely to the employees greeting him. The only customer besides him was a bald man wearing a yellow suit, white, cape, and red boots and gloves. A cosplayer? He appeared to be struggling to find change for his groceries. Genos turned towards the ready-foods section at the back. He scanned the given options of cheap bentos and looked for a particular one containing sardines. Just when he was about to pick up one of the packed meals, Genos heard several shrieks from outside and turned his head towards them. The employees began chattering amongst themselves.

The first thought in his mind was a robbery, and possibly of his flower shop which was ridiculous because who would want to steal flowers?

"This is an emergency evacuation notice." The loudspeakers from outside were blaring the announcement from the Hero Association. "The disaster level of the monster threat is Tiger. Citizens of Z-City please stay away."

The employees in the store fled and the yellow-suited man was no where in site. He must have made his payment and left. He ran to the entrance of the store and saw citizens fleeing from something that was approaching. The creature was making its way to the road where Genos was standing across from his shop. It was more than 10 feet tall and had the head and neck of a beaver and the body of…a lizard? He noticed one man not bothered by the chaos that was ongoing, and that was the same one in the store. He stood with a neutral expression on his face and held his groceries in one hand.

"I wonder what I should make for dinner…?" Genos heard the other man mumble to himself.

"EHEHEHE," the monstrosity laughed in a voice that sounded like a choked man on helium. "I am no longer caged! I will torture you humans the same way I was by those vile, pathetic creatures in white robes! I am now stronger and smarter than all you puny imbeciles! You will all refer to me as Mutant God!"

"Sir!" Genos spoke, turning towards the caped man. "Aren't you going to run?"

He had looked up from staring into space, brown eyes meeting gold. "Eh?" he replied lazily. "Nah. Nothing to really worry about."

This man was surely out of his senses.

Genos rushed towards his shop. If he was going to die, he'd go down protecting his work. He was sure he heard that man's voice calling out to him. Fumbling with the keys, he opened the door at lightning speed and grabbed the nearest broom, ready to defend himself with what little knowledge he had from his kendo classes back from that long ago summer in middle school.

"Ah. What's this?" the creature spoke once more, the high pitched voice resonating. He had reached the crossing where Genos' shop led to the supermarket. Black beady eyes were fixed on the flower shop, more particularly the pots which could be seen through the glass window. "Sustenance!" he cried.

Oh no. There was no way that thing was eating the plants he took care of. Most importantly he would not let him wreck his brand new shop.

The mutant made its stride slowly towards the shop. Genos lunged out the main door and stood in front of the glass door clutching the broomstick.

"You'll have to go through me to get your ugly hands on those plants!" Genos spoke in absolute determination.

"Oh?" he creature said. "EHEHEHEHE! You want to fight tiny man? Fine! Let's see how long you last against my might!" he screeched rather than spoke.

In one swift move it had Genos in the grasp of his hand. The oxygen in his lungs was gone and the broom in his hand fell with a clatter on the concrete. His body was screaming in pain yet he still tried to free his arms to get whatever advantage he could. The rough skin of the lizard body felt like sandpaper against his skin.

"You see," the so-called Mutant God began. "You will always be inferior and never know what true power feels like! You and all of your species bear this awful curse. Not knowing real wisdom, REAL-"

BWOOOOOSH!

A massive force had impaled the mutant's abdomen. Genos watched as the flash of a red fist had sent blood flying everywhere. The hybrid's body had fallen to the ground with a massive thud and Genos scrambled free himself from its hand.

He lay on the pavement, trying to calm his heart, and stared at the corpse which had cracked the ground. Blood was on the walls and glass of his shop.

Genos tilted his head to look up and saw the face of the man who had been with him at the grocery shop. The sun had formed a halo on his head which highlighted his sharp, chiseled features and reflected into Genos eyes. He blinked once. Twice. Genos mimicked him in awe.

"Oi. Are you okay?" the man spoke.

Genos sat up with a start and got onto his feet. He stared at the man whose was bloodied and his gloved empty fist was covered with the red liquid as well. This man was definitely from the Hero Association! A man of this power was surely of rank A class or S class!

Genos let out a sound between a squawk and a gasp. He straightened himself and bent, forming a ninety degree angle. "Sir! You have saved my life for which I am forever grateful! Please allow me to thank you for your kindness!"

"Hm? That's not really necessary," the bald man spoke. "Ah, you don't need to bow or anything either."

Genos straightened his back once again. The man had his hand on his neck in embarrassment. "Please! What is your name?"

"Oh. It's Saitama." he replied.

"Saitama-san, please wait here."

"Er okay, but-"

Genos bolted into the shop. He reached for one of the cactus on the shelf and placed it on the counter. Took out the scissors from their stand and snipped a strand of yellow ribbon with white dots and tied it around the pot. He made his way outside with the pot and realized he forget a bag. Hastily he reached for a paper bag and carefully put the pot in it before running back outside.

Saitama was outside staring at the plants on display and turned to Genos when the door had opened.

"Um-"

"Please accept this as a token of appreciation!" Genos had blurted before he could get a word out, holding the paper bag with two hands.

Saitama scratched his cheek sheepishly. "Really, this isn't necessary," he said awkwardly.

"I insist!" the florist said, his hair bouncing as he bowed.

There was a pause and the shuffling of the grocery bag to Saitama's bloodied fist. "Ah well, okay then," Saitama said gingerly taking hold of the paper bag and holding it in his free hand. "Thanks dude."

Genos smiled. "The pleasure is all mine, Saitama-san."

The older man reciprocated it by showing the softest of smiles, which probably made flowers blossom in spring. He cleared his throat once before speaking "I guess I'll see you around then," he said.

"Yes," Genos said, bowing forward slightly in acknowledgement and watched as the yellow-suited hero walked forward with his groceries in one hand and the paper bag in the other.

 **A'ight well this has been my first fanfiction in a long while welp. Let's see how this goes**.

 **Cross posted on ao3.**


End file.
